Look Alive, Sunshine
by Daddy's Little Rabbit
Summary: After the downfall of Gary Smith, he's shipped off to Happy Volts, being too unstable for the real world. Though he's back on his medication, the thoughts don't stop coming. Plans form in his mind, most likely to never see the light of day. Especially his revenge. Though, as someone starts coming by for a visit, Gary finds that getting out might not be so hard after all with them.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Mainly doing this while I think up of new chapters for other stories, and maybe even have this as a guide for a comic. Warnings for respected chapters.**

 **Look Alive, Sunshine**

 **~Prologue~**

It had been a few months after Gary had been beaten by Jimmy and thrown out of Bullworth Academy. Not even a minute after he had regained concussions was he being hulled away to the nearby asylum, everyone saying he was too unstable for the real world. This might have been true, but damn, he didn't want to be in Happy Volts. Not with all of these losers.

Sure, he could have just taken his pills and been okay, but where was the fun in that? He hated them, anyways. Thinking about it some more, there was no way he would've stayed on his medication for long. Even in Happy Volts, he tried to get out of taking his medicine. Though, when the orderlies discovered he wasn't taking his pills, they turned to drastic measures. First, they tried hiding it in his food. Sadly, this didn't work as Gary both ate around the pill, or just refused to eat. They couldn't have this. That's when the injections started, and when side effects kicked in full craze.

Gary couldn't sleep for the longest time. And when he did, for just a few hours, he was plagued with nightmares. They were stupid the more he thought about it as he awoke, sweating and breathing hard. But, it didn't stop him from jolting awake. Another prescription to combat this; Melatonin. A natural hormone in the brain that helps sleep. Gary took this, not minding the taste it had and actually content that it helped him sleep better. There weren't as many nightmares, as well. Though, the two side effects that really got to him were the morning drowsiness and even the depression. Amitriptyline. That's what they forced him to take. 300Mg and he wasn't ready to kill himself. Now, these were a good way to help cope with everything, though no medication could go without something wrong with it. Gary ended up waking with a high heart rate, and even sometimes had blurry vision. He threw up a few times, and even started seeing things. They started small, such as little bugs and just random dots. Then it became human figures, towering over him at night.

The orderlies brushed this off, not thinking anything of it. "Oh, it's just because of the nightmares!" "Oh, you're probably coming down with flu. That can also cause a change in heart rate." "Sometimes I wake up with blurry vision. But, it always goes away!" Yeah, they were no help. They weren't doctors, either. They didn't know what the hell they were talking about. But, there was nothing he could do. They forced him to take this medicine. No getting out of it like last time. Oh well. At least now he could sleep.

Gary's mind still ran with thoughts. Everything that he could think of. Ways of getting out of his prison, his downfall, getting revenge on Jimmy whenever he got out, picking on Petey, ruling an empire like a mighty king, Halloween when he and Jimmy pulled that hilarious prank, the way he had ruled Bullworth Academy for that split second, picking on Petey – wait… he already mentioned that. Well, little femme-boy was easy to pick on. He sometimes wondered about how he was doing without him there. He was probably even more of a loser now than he ever was… unless he was hanging out with Jimmy.

The more he laid in his bed, thinking about that night, the more he grew resentful of that boy. He knew it from day one. He knew he was after him. And he was right. Now, he was rotting in this cell. And it was all Jimmy's fault. He promised himself that when he got out of Happy Volts, Jimmy would pay.

* * *

 **Update 2-11-2018: Okay, so coming back to this story, I've noticed how it does jump from Gary being in the asylum to a new character. The intentions for the first few chapters, this prologue included, is to have you get a feel for the more reoccurring characters (Gary, Ink and Cody). The main character is Peter Kowalski who is in his sophomore year, now being the age of 15, turning 16 later on in the story. His main goal, other than "helping" Gary leave the asylum, is to be more confident in himself and help his friends out, whether they need advice or help in their personal life. If you'd rather skip meeting Ink and Cody, then the beginning of II is where it starts to follow Pete in his life around Bullworth and what he deals with. This story does start at the beginning of a new school year, with more cliques and students.  
**

 **This story revolves around love, betrayal, and growth. It also deals with anxiety, acceptance, depression, and has quite a bit of vulgar language. If you're okay with all of this, or you simply like the idea of the story, then continue on. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy.**


	2. I

**~I~**

"Why the hell am I driving you back to this dump again?"

"Please, I don't wanna have this conversation again..."

"No, no! Tell me! Why the hell am I spending my money on this stupid shit when your first week here turned out to be a war worse than home?!"

"Because here no one knows what I am! Are you happy now?!"

"I mean… I'd be happy if I didn't have to send you to this shitty school and we could have a happy life back home..."

The teen just sat in the passenger seat, looking out the window. With a sigh, the older woman reached over, gently patting them on the shoulder with a small smile.

"I'm sorry, bud," she spoke softly, "You know I just worry."

"You don't have to be so mean, though," came the reply. The woman just gave a nod, pulling up to the gates. "Rabbit? What should I do if another fight breaks out?"

The woman shrugged, opening the trunk and leaning back in her seat.

"First, if it's a huge fight like last time, I want you to go find a calm spot and call me. I'll come as quick as I can," she explained in a gentle tone, "But, if it's against maybe… one or two people, beat the living Christ outta them."

The teen sat there, looking mortified. The older woman, Rabbit, just started to laugh, shrugging her shoulders.

"Ink, you're looking at someone who's in a dangerous clan," she started, reaching out to punch her kin's shoulder. "Ever since I was 19, the only thing I learned from them was to kill anyone who meant harm to either myself or my friends. Now, I don't want you with blood soaking into your hands, so just… knock 'em out or something."

"I think I'll take the more… peaceful route..." Ink opened the door of the Dodge Challenger. After closing it, the teen took another look into the window, staring at their sister. "Thank you, by the way. For letting me come back here."

"I dunno why you like it here so much," she sighed, "Everyone's a loser and no one does shit about it."

"Well, there was someone here who tired to calm that down," they explained with a smile. "I think everything is better now."

"Better hope so 'fore I start shooting up this place," Though she had a dangerous tone, she gave the teen a smile. "Just… do good. Get good grades and go do something you wanna do, instead of joining a gang like I did."

"Will do, Rabbit! Love you!" And with a 'love you too!', Ink gathered their things from the trunk of the car, slammed it shut, and waved as their sister drove off. There wasn't much. A duffel bag that contained the Bullworth uniform, a laptop, chargers, and underclothes. In their other hand was a skateboard. The deck had been custom made, being just a huge black and white doodle.

Slinging the duffel bag over their shoulder, Ink made their way inside and onto campus. Bullworth hadn't changed much after that huge fight broke out. Ink didn't remember much. Just that the fight was created by some psycho, who got beat by another psycho. Who were they though?

"Ah! Ink! It's you!" The teen looked up at the woman, giving her a warm smile.

"Hello, Miss Danvers!" they greeted, "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she replied, though couldn't return the smile the teen gave her. "So, you're back finally, hm?"

"Yes, ma'am," Miss Danvers nodded, leading them towards the intersection of the dorms.

"Well, which dorm would you like?" she asked, looking down. "Actually… have you picked a gender?"

Ink looked down, shaking their head in shame. Miss Danvers sighed upon seeing this.

"Well, how about the girls dorm?" she questioned, looking up at the much more luxurious building with a smile. "It's a lot better than the boys! And the girls are so nice!"

Ink had to fake a smile for that one. Though, the girls dorm was probably the best option, considering it was bigger and the girls wouldn't make fun of them dressing more feminine.

"That sounds nice. Yes, please," Nodding, Miss Danvers led the teen up to the school building.

"Very well. Dr. Crabblesnitch is waiting to speak with you," Ink remembered the first time they met Dr. Crabblesnitch. He was an uptight man, but that was expected considering he was supposed to be running a great school. Though, it did make Ink wonder why there was so many fights and bullying problems with no resolution to it all.

"Ah! Ink! It's been quite a while!" Dr. Crabblesnitch gestured for the teen to enter, thanking Miss Danvers for escorting them in. "How have you been?"

"Fine. You?" Ink had a seat across from his desk, setting the duffel bag and skateboard down.

"Better now that everything is back to normal," he confessed, "Anyways, how is your sister, Rabbit? She has quite the temperament."

"She's doing fine. Just still weary of this school considering what happened before summer," they replied. Dr. Crabblesnitch sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Yes, that was a very hectic day," he grumbled, though straightened himself out. "But, that's in the past! Everyone is much better now! And you nor your sister has to worry about a thing!"

Ink gave him a smile, though it soon disappeared as a thought popped into their head.

"Sir? I have a bit of a problem," they started softly, catching the man's attention. "To be quite honest with you, I'm worried about how the others will view me. I have yet to identify as anything and-"

"Allow me to stop you right there, Ink," he interrupted, "I assure you, no one, and absolutely _no one_ will make fun of you just because you don't choose to identify as a specific gender! Bullworth is more of a respectable school now!"

"I'm just worried is all. I wasn't here long enough for anyone to find out that..."

"That what?"

"N-never mind. I'm sorry, but I wish not to continue this conversation."

Dr. Crabblesnitch nodded, watching as Ink stood up and gathered their things.

"Remember, Ink," he started as they started for the door. "Just be a good child, and no one will bother you. And no riding your skateboard inside the building!"

"Yes, sir! Thank you!" And with that, they were in the office, facing both Miss Danvers and a crying girl by the entrance.

"Go get changed into your uniform, young Ink," Miss Danvers spoke, giving the teen a stern look. "Classes will begin at 9:00 sharp!"

"Yes, ma'am," Ink hurried out of the office, nearly bumping into other students as they made their way down the stairs, having a blond boy shove them out of the way. Being out wasn't Ink's main wish at the moment, seeing as getting changed into their uniform and putting their things away was more important. Plus, they just didn't want to be bothered with anyone this morning.

Bullworth was a nice looking school, and quite big. Bigger than the high school back from where Ink came from. The main reason Ink was here was because Rabbit didn't trust the other schools, saying that because of her own background, people could target Ink and harm them. They often brushed this off, as Rabbit could be a bit paranoid about some things. But, Ink did like Bullworth, despite the students being bullies. The town was rather pleasant as well.

"Outta my way!" Ink let out a squeak, having a stocky boy speed past them on his own skateboard. They stood there in shock and watching him skate off. A gray Bullworth t-shirt, black beanie, ripped jeans and black skate shoes. Probably a good person to avoid, considering a prefect was close behind. He didn't make it past the gates, having to stop and catch his breath.

"Just keep moving, Ink. Don't wanna know," they spoke softly to themselves, turning left and heading for the girls dorm. Inside was warm and decent, though the pink walls could be painted a different color. Heading upstairs and down the hall, Ink found their room at the very end on the left. They opened the door, pleased to see that there would be no one else in there except for them. Of course, big sister Rabbit most likely threatened Dr. Crabblesnitch for Ink to have their own room, not wanting anyone to see Ink's daily routine. Though, they smiled. Leave it to her to help them out in secret.

It took quite a bit to change. Rabbit had gotten Ink both a skirt and slacks, unsure of what they would want to wear. _'Don't worry 'bout these losers. Just do your work and be a good little Ink._ _'_ Ink smiled at the note, turning their attention to the uniforms. Hesitantly, they took the blouse and tie, and with a couple seconds to think it over, they grabbed the skirt. The uniform was quite nice looking, making Ink smile. Rabbit had made her some green plaid legwarmers to match the skirt. And regardless of whether they chose the skirt or slacks, she gotten them black converse with green plaid laces. It made them giggle at this. Rabbit had the same converse as these, though the laces were red instead green. She always wanted them to look nice, even though she went around most of her time looking shady.

Ink had put away her things, only having a couple pictures to hang up and some newspaper clippings she had kept for quite a bit. They were mainly of Rabbit and her clan members. The other things Ink had were a little treasure chest that contained some ink bottles and several books, which were all placed onto a bookshelf. Astrology, rocks and minerals, mythology, history, along with a couple sketchbooks. They smiled after they were done. At least they would be alone.

8:30 and it was getting close for class. Ink always liked to be a bit early. Luckily, there weren't too many girls outside in the hallway, allowing Ink to practically run down the stairs and outside, having Ms. Peabody chastising her for running. Though there was remorse in Ink, they didn't want to have anyone come out and try talking to them. They weren't exactly the friendly type. Though, outside wasn't exactly too peaceful. A prefect had a teen boy in a headlock, who was struggling quite angrily.

"Let go, asshole!" Finally, the teen managed to get out of the headlock, his beanie dropping to the ground. With one swift kick, the prefect had his legs being swept off the ground, falling with a huff. After gathering his beanie, he ran off, laughing as he made his escape. Ink stood there, frowning. Maybe Bullworth wasn't a good school to return to.


	3. II

**~II~**

After making it out by the boy's dorm, Cody finally ceased his running. He was out of breath, but at least he got away without having to make a trip to see the headmaster. He started to laugh, walking inside and making his way into the lounge room, flopping down on the couch. It felt good to be back inside. That is, if you don't think about the smell and the yelling in the hall being caused by Trent shoving someone into the trash can. Other than that, it was pretty peaceful.

Cody picked his head up at the sound of approaching footsteps, smiling at the boy who entered the room.

"Hey there, Pete!" he greeted, moving his feet so his roommate could sit down. After Gary had been expelled and shipped off to Happy Volts, Pete was assigned Cody as a new roommate.

"Hey, Cody," He sat down, looking at the other teen. He always smelt like smoke and paint. And sometimes, if Pete was lucky, he had a hint of cologne to try and mask the scent of the recently listed smells. "How's your day going?"

"Oh, you know… went into town and got some food, had a prefect bitch at me for not wearing my uniform, bitched him out and ran in here," he explained. Pete could only look at him with an unimpressed look. Everyday, it was the same thing for the teen. Go out, get food, smoke something, get in trouble. Very eventful. "Anyways! How's your day, Petey? Still being the best headboy?"

"I guess?" Pete rubbed the back of his neck, looking around the room. "I heard that an old student is coming back today!"

"Eww. More students," he grumbled, sitting up and looking at his roommate. "It's bad enough we got more of those drama geeks. What's this person's clique?"

"Well, I think they're not in a clique," Cody seemed surprised. "But I think they're in my art class. Guess they used to go here, but they left after that huge fight I told you about."

"Heh. Wow," Pete watched as Cody stood up, stretching and twisting around. "Well, I'm gonna go hang out with some friends. You wanna come with, Pete? Get out of his hellhole?"

"I'm good, man. I think class is gonna start soon, anyways," he replied, watching him roll his eyes. "You should go, too! Do something with your life."

"I am doing something with my life, Pete," he laughed, "and that something is smoking… and the occasional graffiti, but we won't talk about that today."

Cody waved and left the lounge. Pete sat there a bit longer, shaking his head. Sometimes, in all honesty, he missed Gary. Sure, that psychopath always made fun of him, pushed him around and whatnot, but at least he never came back to the room smelling of smoke and sometimes drunk or high! And even… he was involved in a lot of things with Gary around. Sure, Cody offered Pete to come with him and have some fun, but he was always doing something illegal. Smoking, drinking, graffiti, fighting (not totally illegal but pretty stupid to him), and the occasional breaking and entering. Well… Gary did fight, bully and turn people against each other.

Whatever. Pete stood up and walked to his room, grabbing his sketchbook and pencil and eraser. He then walked out of the dorm, going towards the main building. On his way, he looked around at the students who passed him by. Trent, Pedro, Algernon, Sheldon, Nikki, Zach, Blake, and even Myuu. A lot of new students arrived at the beginning of the new school year. Surprisingly, Myuu was in her last year, though Pete didn't have any classes with her.

Ms. Phillips was always nice, welcoming everyone in. As Pete entered the room, he noticed a large sketchbook already on one of the desks. Who would leave their things unguarded in a school like this?

"Ms. Phillips?" Pete started, catching the teacher's attention. "Who does this sketchbook belong to?"

"Oh, that belongs to Ink! You might remember them from after that huge fight on campus," she told him, though kept a smile as though that war wasn't any big of deal. Sure! Two students didn't totally fight on the roof of the school and nearly fall to their death. Okay, Ms. Phillips. Okay.

Pete slowly walked over though, opening the sketchbook and looking inside. A drawing of old houses, looking almost Victorian. They were stripped and colored differently. Blue and pink, green and white, fuchsia and a light orange. The next page was of a cartoon style cafe. And on the next, an apple colored with… pastels? Interesting, though it seemed the colors smeared a bit in some areas. He closed the sketchbook and went to go sit down at one of the desks. He opened his own sketchbook, looking at what he had. Portraits and landscapes. They were more realistic than Ink's, though it didn't include much color. He wondered how his pictures would look with color. Maybe better? But he wasn't that good with colors! Perhaps he could find some tutorials or ask Ms. Phillips for some help or advice.

The bell rang and students poured in. Mandy, Beatrice, Christie, Colt, Nick, and a student Pete hadn't seen in a long time. Ink. He watched them walk in, sporting the female uniform and messing with their colored hair. He gave them a smile, waving a bit. Ink just gave him a smile in return, going to sit down and open their sketchbook.

"Okay, class! Today, we're going to start a new project!" Ms. Phillips started, looking around the room. "What I want you to do is go out to an event around Bullworth and draw what's going on. If you go to the football game on Friday, then draw a few of the players on the field. Please, do your best and put your utmost effort into it!"

Ms. Phillips went on about how this project was supposed to be fun and she wanted to see how much the students had learned. Realism, colors, whatever it was, she wanted to see something amazing. Pete thought about going to the race in Old Bullworth Vale. It'd be interesting to see the race as well and who would win.

As Pete wasted his time in art class, Cody was out in New Coventry, laying on the porch of one of his friend's home. He looked out at the sky, watching some clouds pass by. He could barely feel his hands, honestly. But laying here, the sun on his face and arms, it felt nice. Didn't matter if his hands were numb. He felt good.

"Hey, Cody! You alright?" Duncan walked over, taking a seat by the teen.

"Dude, I can't feel my hands," he replied calmly, lifting his head to see the other man. "They're there, aren't they?"

"Yeah, man! See?" Duncan lifted up Cody's left hand, waving it in front of his face. He just got a smile and a small nod. The student rested his head back down, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. Duncan put his hand down, shaking his head. Cody had always come around New Coventry, buying things from others. Honestly, Duncan was a bit jealous that Cody could go to school, where he had dropped out after excessive bullying. But, he couldn't change the past and he couldn't make Cody change his ways.

"Hey, didn't you say somethin' 'bout a brother?" Cody's head snapped right back up, eyes wide for a moment, before letting them relax once more.

"Yeah. Anthony," he replied, giving him a smile. "He's the best, honestly. Only person who kinda raised me since our mom works two jobs."

"That's cool. He live around here?" Duncan usually took advantage of Cody being higher than a kite, seeing as he was more open to questions in this state. He admitted to feeling a bit neglected, considering big brother Anthony was out with friends, despite wanting to check up on him. Without someone there to set him on the right path, Cody had met some of the townies. And now, here he was, laying on the porch barely able to comprehend where he was. He also learned Cody _did_ have a favorite subject: auto shop. Apparently, working on mechanics was almost as fun as getting high, in his eyes. Also, Cody's favorite color was pink, Duncan assumed, as he kept bringing it up during their conversation. This boy was just a mess at how much he kept jumping around.

They stayed their for a bit before Cody finally sobered up, rubbing his hand and sitting upright. He looked at Duncan, smiling.

"Thanks for chilling with me, man," he spoke, earning a nod.

"Sure! Was fun!" The two stood up, and Cody gave his friend a pat on the shoulder. And with that, Cody said his goodbyes and walked back to school. Maybe he could harass Pete a bit when he got back to their room? Yeah. That was his plan now.


	4. III

**~III~**

Pete had walked out of class, already having down the basic sketch for the idea of his project. He walked besides Ink, smiling at them. He had asked of their idea for the project, and found out that they were going to be going to the football game. They had taken a liking to seeing Bullworth fight against the rival schools, wanting to support their own academy. When Pete had questioned why they wanted to come back, he got the answer: "I came back because no one knows what I am." After hearing this, he laughed it off, figuring they had done some huge crime in the past that Bullworth hadn't known about.

After saying goodbye and parting ways, Pete returned back to his room. He sat on his bed, looking at the sketch. The more he looked at it, the more he cringed. The anatomy was off on one of the riders, the bike looked wrong and the background looked nothing like Old Bullworth Vale! Of course, this was just a really rough sketch and he could fix everything, but he hated it. Maybe… maybe he should look for something else? Another event? But what? He wanted his project to be unique! Not to go out to the football game everyone was probably going to. But what other event?

God, if Gary were here, he could get an answer. If his idea was good, bad, stupid. If there were another event that wouldn't be the most popular vote to everyone else in that class. Gary would give him some answers. He was pretty smart, surprisingly, despite him having to take medicine 24/7. Wait… why think of Gary? He could easily ask Cody! … No. No, no, no. Never Cody, he was useless. Jimmy, maybe? Wherever that boy was? Maybe he could take time away from spending it with whoever it was he was going out with. Last he knew, he _was_ dating Zoe, but he still saw Jimmy go around, flirting like a bitch in heat. Well, whatever he wanted. It wasn't any of Pete's business.

A few minutes of rethinking his project, Cody burst through the door, arms splayed out on the splintering wood as he stared at Pete.

"Honey, I'm back!" he chimed, a smile breaking out. Pete just stared at him, unamused. He reeked, like always. How did Pete, head of the school, get stuck with him? "Ha ha! What're you doin', bud?"

"Just thinking about a project I got," he replied, watching him roll his eyes. "Hey… how sober are you?"

"Sober enough to know my name, finally," he answered, closing the door with an ungraceful shut and going to walk over to his roommate. "Whatcha doin for the project?"

"We're supposed to go to an event, but I was _kinda_ thinking about doing something this weekend," he explained, showing Cody the sketch he had made. "I made this just in case I didn't get to the race. We're supposed to draw out an event that was happening in Bullworth, and I was thinking about doing the race in Old Bullworth Vale, but I dunno..."

As Pete rambled on about how he hated the picture and how he thought about just switching his idea completely, Cody looked the image over. He put a finger close to the page, tracing the lines of a couple things, before pulling back and staring at Pete in awe.

"Dude, like… I suck at art, but this looks great!" he told him, earning a look that was both surprised and happy. "Shit, and it's even not complete! I'd give you an A+ as it is!"

"Heh. Thanks, Cody," Pete smiled, going to put the sketchbook down and lay down fully on his bed. As he did this, his roommate walked over to his side of the room and rummaged through one of the drawers on his dresser. After pulling out an old cigarette and lighting, Cody looked over at Pete, frowning.

"Look, man, I know I'm usually _always_ wasted, but what's up with you?" Pete looked at Cody, surprised at his outburst. "Like… you're over there looking all down and whatever. What's your deal?"

"Like I said, I was just thinking of doing something this weekend," he replied softly, "Thing is, I dunno if I should. It could end _really_ badly for me."

"Dude, tell me!" Cody abandoned his cigarette in his ashtray, going to sit at the edge of Pete's bed. "I wanna know, I wanna know!"

"Geez, calm down, man!" Pete sat up, giving the other teen a smile. "There used to be a… person that went there. Can't stop thinking about them, ya know? Like… they were really horrible, but for some reason, I've been thinking about them a lot lately, and I thought about paying them a visit."

Cody stared at him for a moment, before his face lit up.

"Awwww, you like someone!" he spoke, putting his hands on Pete's shoulders. "And I thought you were too awkward for a relationship! So, tell me about them!"

"Uh… well, they're not too… stable," he confessed, "A sociopath, actually. I know I shouldn't take a liking to that kind of stuff, but I can't help it. They've been on my mind, and it's hard for me to stop thinking about them."

Cody no longer looked so happy, now more concerned.

"Pete, you know I'm not the smartest person in the world," he started slowly, "but even I know that a sociopath is someone not to mess with. They're not right in the head, and they can be _very_ abusive and manipulative. It's not a good idea..."

"You know, Cody, I think that's the most intelligent thing you've said all year."

"Don't mock me, Peter! But you already know how this can end up. If you're really lucky, then they'll be a good lover to you. If not, well..."

"I know… what do you think I should do?"

"I'd say screw it and go. The worse thing they can do is like… slam the door in your face or somethin'."

"Yeah, alright. Thanks, Cody."

"Always here, man!"

After Pete had put his sketchbook away and Cody decided to take a nap, the headboy left the dorm. He shoved his hands into his pant's pockets, looking around the campus. Trent was shoving Pedro into a trashcan, the kid practically crying. He felt bad, but this wasn't his fight. He wasn't about to get involved and get his lights knocked out.

Pete had walked past multiple students as he made his way towards the football field, seeing the drama students either rehearsing for an upcoming show, or getting into fights with the preps. After the war that broke out on campus, Pete honestly did think things would change. Sadly, he was wrong as no one changed their thinking process. Everything had went back to how it was before all of this had started. The only thing different were the students. He didn't know why people would want to come here after all that happened, but it wasn't his problem.

As he walked, he noticed he hadn't seen Jimmy around in a bit. Sure, he had finished everything, but he didn't think he would completely disappear. Maybe he could find him around town sometime? He was sure he lived somewhere nearby.

"Hey, Pete!" The teen looked up, seeing Ink smiling at him. He just waved back, going to walk over to the bench they sat upon.

"Hey, Ink. What's up?" They gave him a shrug, hands folded in their lap.

"Winter gonna be here soon," they spoke, "You excited for the snow?"

"Sure! It's always fun to play in it," he chuckled, finally taking a seat. "Until someone shoves snow down your jacket… what about you? You excited for it?"

They sat there for a moment, shrugging and looking at the ground.

"I kinda… freeze up in the cold. Literally," they replied. Pete just chuckled more. Of course they would! It's cold!

"Well, I'm guess where you're from it didn't snow," He got a nod.

"California didn't get snow where I was," they told him softly, "It wasn't a good area, though. I'm happy to be out here! Even if it means having to deal with new weather..."

"Well, Bullworth isn't the greatest, but you sure speak highly of it!" he spoke. Ink just nodded, turning their attention to him.

"Pete, we're… friends, right?" they asked suddenly. Pete was a bit surprised at this question. Why ask?

"Uh… yeah! Why?" Ink seemed relieved at his answer, but before they could say anything else, Pete's phone went off. Excusing himself, he looked at it, finding a text message from Cody.

 _Cody: Hey man! Btw when u get bck theres gonna be hella papers everywhere. Dun worry ill get to it later. XOXO_

He frowned as he looked at the time. 5:15. Visiting hours would be ending soon, and Pete didn't want to put this off anymore. Besides, he needed to hurry if the papers were _his_. Why couldn't Cody pick up after himself or leave things alone?!

"I'm really sorry, Ink," Pete started, getting up from the bench. "but I gotta get going. Can we talk later?"

"Oh, yeah. Sure. Be safe, Pete!" He waved to the teen, going to jog down the steps and towards the field, making a sharp left and heading towards the tunnels that led to the asylum. Jimmy had told him about these a while ago, telling him that's how he got to Mr. Galloway to get him out. Good thing, too, because this was cutting his time in half.

The building of Happy Volts sent shivers up Pete's spine. It was so… ominous. But, he wasn't here to judge. He was here to see Gary? Why though? What was so special about the guy who caused so much trouble?

"Come on, Pete!" he spoke to himself, bringing his hands up to grip his hair. "You're just here to see how he is. Nothing more. You're just seeing if a friend is okay."

" _A friend! Is that what Gary is? Do friends kick friends in the balls?!"_

"They don't."

" _Do friends leave friends behind?"_

"They don't."

" _Do friends go crazy and leave you in a war zone?"_

"No..."

" _Then why call him a friend?!"_

"Because..."

Pete moved forward, going towards the gate to check in.

"Because even through everything, he was the only one there for me for the most part."


	5. IV

**~IV~  
**

Pete stood outside of the asylum, playing with the edges of his Bullworth vest. He could always turn back now. Say forget it and just go back to campus… No! He had to do this. He wanted to. Just to see him and see how he was holding up. That's what friends were for, right?

It took Pete every fiber of his being to continue towards the gate. He took slow, small steps. He kept telling himself to hurry up; that the hard part of getting through was almost over now. The guard at the counter just watched him, eyes emotionless and cold. But, finally, the boy made it up, giving the man a nervous smile.

"Yes?" he asked, voice none too friendly.

"Uh, hi! I'm here to visit someone," he replied. The man nodded, writing some things down on a piece of paper.

"No weapons or contraband on you?" Pete shook his head. Another nod and more scribbling. "Visiting…?"

"Gary Smith," This time, the man didn't write anything down. He just stared at Pete, almost confused and shocked. "You know, he's the one from-"

"I know who he is," he interrupted, "It's just that… people don't really wanna see him."

"Really? Not even his own parents?" The man shook his head. This was sad. His own blood didn't even make a visit? Did they know he was in here? Of course they did. They had to contact them!

"Alright, just fill this out, kid," Pete took the clipboard and pen, looking over the document. Simple questions, such as name, age, address and so on. It took him a couple minutes to fill out, his handwriting a bit sloppy considering he wasn't too comfortable writing while standing. Though, once it was done, he handed the clipboard and pen back to the man. Nothing out of him. He just took out a sticker, wrote down the name "Peter Kowalski" and pealed the sticker off. He handed it out to the boy, who simply took it and placed it on his shirt.

"B Block," he spoke, "Cell 4. Someone will be there to meet you. Good luck, kiddo."

Pete nodded, giving out a small 'thanks', and continued his slow journey towards his destination. This wasn't exactly the greatest place to spend your life. The screaming from others, how dark and gloomy it was, how bad his chills were. It made him shiver is disgust. He was glad he didn't have to be here. Though, Gary did.

Upon approaching the cell he was looking for, going to peer through the little barred window, he saw Gary sitting on his bed, leaning against the wall with a knee drawn up, his arm laying over it. He seemed so… distance. Just so gone and lost. Pete's stomach went into a knot, making him feel almost sick. He started to have second thoughts about this. But, he was already inside and had the visitor sticker.

"You the one for Smith?" Pete jumped upon hearing the voice, looking up at the guard. The name "Theo" stuck out on his name tag, and his build made him look intimidating. Pete nodded nervously, and watched as the guard went to open the door. The cell was small and cold, and could trigger someone's claustrophobia if they stayed there long enough.

"Smith! Visitor," Theo's voice was far from friendly, or even halfway decent. Gary didn't even look at them, keeping his eyes focused on the wall. "Good luck, kid. You'll need it."

Pete slowly walked inside, listening to the cell door close. He approached Gary's bed, smiling slightly.

"Hey, Gary!" he greeted, trying to sound somewhat happy. Gary finally looked up at his voice, surprised to see the fellow student.

"Femme-boy?" The nickname wasn't exactly Pete's favorite, but it felt almost... comforting to hear it again from Gary. He had gotten so used to hearing it back at Bullworth, and felt something was missing when Gary had been hauled away. "What're you doing here? Heh. Couldn't get enough of me, huh?"

"Very funny, Gary," he sighed, "I just figured I'd come check up on you. See how you're doing."

"Well... not dead yet!" Gary had this smile that made Pete feel uncomfortable. The distant look in his eyes remained, even though he tried to keep his focus of Pete. "They gave me new meds so I'm kinda... getting used to them still."

"Really? Are they any better than your old meds?" Gary laughed at him like he had told him the funniest joke in the world.

"Funny, Pete," His face turned stone cold, eyes narrowing at him. "They're worse, I feel like shit and I'm ready to drop dead."

Pete stared at him. He had changed. He was more different now and more moody. This made him a bit sad, considering he needed to be extra careful now.

"Well, they're helping," he started slowly, "I'm sure you'll be out soon! As long as you take them."

"Have to," he grumbled, "They inject it now. Right into my arm, since I won't take their pills."

Pete frowned. He figured if he were in here, he would get better.

"But," Gary continued, "I was surprised to see you come visit me. No one has since I've gotten in here. Not even my parents came to visit."

"So I've heard," Slowly, Pete took a seat on the bed, hands in his lap.

"Why are you really here, Petey?" Gary asked, looking at the other teen. "Someone have you come here? To laugh in my face? Was it Jimmy?!"

"What? No! You're crazy, man," he grumbled, earning a laugh.

"So I've heard," he mimicked, giving him a smile. Pete just rolled his eyes. Yep. This was the Gary he had missed oh so much. "How's that hellhole, anyways?"

"Well, it's pretty much the same," he replied. Gary had already known the answer, honestly. It would take a miracle to fix Bullworth, especially with all of those students running around. How disgusting. "Got some new students and cliques, so it's more crowded now."

"Ah, more idiots to invade Bullworth. How nice," By how Pete was fidgeting, Gary started to wonder the real reason as to why he was here. "So, how's your boyfriend?"

"What?! What are you even talking about?!" Pete cried, taken aback by Gary's question. What was his problem?

"You know what I'm talking about," Gary's voice was lower now, sounding as though he was either growing impatient or agitated. "Your little boyfriend, Jimmy."

He wasn't impatient or agitated. He was furious now, glaring at Pete. He didn't understand any of this.

"Jimmy isn't my boyfriend!" he told him, voice cracking and making him sound even more pathetic at this point. Upon hearing that, though, Gary's angry expression left and was replaced with a happier one as he started to laugh at him. This made Pete feel both ashamed and humiliated. That was Gary's idea; to make fun of him and have him embarrass himself. Pete now felt small.

"I'm just messing with you," Gary chuckled, though reached out to punch his shoulder. "Anyways, what was that real reason for coming to visit me?"

"Just wanted to check up on a friend," There was surprise again, but Gary just gave him a small smile.

"Friend…?" he repeated, almost unsure. "After all the shit I've done to you, I'm still your friend?"

"Yeah. I mean, I'm kinda shocked too, but you know..." Pete had trailed off, not sure what else he should've said.

"Well, Pete, I-"

"Smith! Time for your meds!" Theo's booming voice made the two jump a little, the large man standing in front of the cell's door. "Kowalski, time to go."

"Y-yes, sir," Pete was ready to leave after he waved to Gary, though stopped when he called out to him.

"Hey, Petey!" He looked back, question written all over his face. "Visit me again, will ya? Nice having company."

"Whatever you say, Gary."


	6. V

**~V~**

 _Gotta get out. Which way is out? It's so dark. Where is he? Stumbling this way and that, unable to grasp anything. He can hear something in the distance. His name. Who is that?_

" _Gary?" His voice is a lot more hoarse than he was expecting. He feels dizzy as he goes towards the voice. Gary. It's him. He can tell by the voice as he gets closer. "Gary!"_

" _Petey! Wake up!" He nearly falls trying to turn into a dimly lit room. His room. Was he in the dorm? What's going on? Gary's leaning over his bed, shaking a person. It's him? "Come on, femme-boy, open your eyes for me."_

" _Gary?" He's staring at his old roommate shaking his own body. Why is his face bruised? "Gary, what's going on, man?!"_

" _Pete?" He turns around, seeing Jimmy. He smiles._

" _Jimmy! Thank god, I-" The boy runs right through him and he gets chills. How?_

" _What happened to him?" Jimmy and Gary start to argue about what happened, but he can't hear them. Jimmy just ran through his body like he was nothing. How?_

 _The scent of smoke catches his attention. Something familiar makes him feel less dizzy and more okay. In the distance he can hear his name being called, but not by Gary or Jimmy. No. It's coming from down the hall, which has now lit up with an equally dim light. The lounge room. Cody's standing there, looking at the couch with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. He doesn't share the same concerned face like his other friends. But he's staring at a spot on the couch. An empty spot. He stared at Cody for a little longer. The scent of the cigarette is so strong now it makes his lungs burn._

" _Pete, come on. It's late," he grumbles. Slowly, Pete looks back at the couch. Stepping forward, he sits down in the spot Cody's looking at._

Pete's body jolts, his eyes shooting open and his heart racing. Cody's standing before him, the same lit cigarette in his mouth.

"Finally," he grumbles, staring at Pete. "Been trying to wake you up for about five minutes."

"Really?" He gets a nod as a response. Pete stood up, stretching. He guessed he was so tired after coming back from the asylum that he fell asleep in the lounge. His dream, though, was quite weird. Following Cody back to their room, he pushes the thought of it out of his mind. Maybe it was just due to stress and his subconscious was wishing someone would help?

Pete flopped onto his bed when he gets close enough, draping his arm over his eyes. He feels so drained. What happened to him?

"You good, man?" Cody's voice makes him raise his head, staring at him.

"Yeah, just tired," he tells him, "What time is it anyways?"

"I dunno. Like 10?" Had he been sleeping for that long? "Anyways, how'd that visit go?"

"Oh, it went well," he replies, now sitting up. "Had a nice chat actually. I think I'll go back next week."

"That's good!" Cody gives him that same toothy grin he's so used to, finishing his cigarette and setting it in the ash tray. "Well, I'm gonna get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning, Pete!"

"Yeah, night," And like that, Cody's laying in bed and no longer making noise. He sighs, looking out the small window in the room. It's cloudy. Probably going to rain soon. He stands up, walking over to the dresser and pulling out his night clothes. Changing had never taken him so long before. He feels so slow right now. Probably just still tired.

After changing and doing his nightly routine, Pete lays in bed, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts travel back to the dream. His body in his bed. His face bruised like someone had smashed his face into the ground. Gary back at Bullworth and shaking him. Was he wearing the uniform, too? It _had_ to be a dream if Gary was out of the asylum and wearing his old school uniform.

He doesn't realize it, but Pete falls asleep quicker than expected. And morning is so quick, he's almost sure he had just closed his eyes for a second. But he can hear everyone yelling in the hall and he's sure Trent's shoving someone into a trash can. He slowly sits up, rubbing his eyes. It's chilly in the room and Pete shivers a bit as he leaves his warm bed. Doing his morning routine and getting dressed in a large hoodie, Pete grabs his bag and heads out of the dorm, pushing his way past Algie and Troy near the door. He hesitates a bit as he gets to the first step, rain sprinkling down. He frowns, searching through his bag. Of course. No umbrella. With a sigh, he makes his way towards the building. He has geography this morning, a class he's fairly decent at. Pretty much just match flags with places, and if the teacher was feeling extra moody, a paragraph about an event you found interesting. Not his most favorite thing to do, but he wanted to get good grades. He was the new headboy, after all! Had to act good like one, right?

Opening the door and stepping inside, Pete smiles when he sees Ink.

"Morning, Ink!" he greets, giving them a wave. They hesitate at first, before smiling back at him.

"Morning, Pete," Their voice is soft and timid, but they straighten up to stand properly and give him their full attention. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm alright," he chuckles, "It's starting to rain and I don't have an umbrella, so I'm gonna be running from the school, back to the dorm."

"It's raining?" Their face contours to what looks like fear or uncomfortableness. They squirm a bit, before finally recomposing themselves.

"Yeah. Why? Don't like the rain?" he asks. They shake their head.

"No. I'm not allowed in it," Before he can ask why, the bell rings and Ink leaves with a goodbye, going to their class. He shrugs, making his way into the classroom and taking his seat. Maybe Ink just had a really bad immune system?

Adding to his disliking the day, Mr. Matthews was feeling a bit moody, so they had to do an essay on any country they wanted. At least they had a choice. But as Pete works on his essay, his pencil occasionally drifts to the sides and corners, doodling random pictures here and there. He knows he should probably erase them before turning his paper in, but a part of him likes what he had drawn. After thinking it over for a bit, he decides to leave the doodles there. Maybe he'll get extra points?

Class does fly by, and Pete's not surprised when it's pouring outside. Going to the cafeteria, and being sickened by the sight of Edna's food, Pete just grabs an apple and banana before going to walk around Bullworth. There are people also walking around, chatting and fighting and whatnot. If the rain lightened up, maybe he could go get some pizza after his next class. He'd need something good after having to sit through math. Maybe he could work on that sketch he had made for his art class when he got done with his worksheet. _If_ he got done, that is. Math wasn't exactly his strong point and god forbid anyone ask the teacher a question. Mr. Hattrick had been fired, yes, and after Pete had become headboy, he made sure that man never taught in Bullworth again. But the replacement was a different story. Mr. Sanders was not only a creepy looking, 50-something year old man, but he was also very hard to understand. He had the thickest of Scottish accents, and when he explains anything, it's hard to understand him. He also acts all putout and upset whenever someone wants him to go over anything again. Maybe Mr. Hattrick wasn't so bad.

Walking throughout the halls, Pete sees Jimmy up ahead, picking the lock into one of the lockers. He smiles, approaching his friend.

"Hey, Jimmy!" he greets, "Haven't seen you in a while!"

"Huh? Oh, hey, Pete," Jimmy simply glances at the boy, still working on the lock he's invested in. "What's goin' on with you?"

"Nothing much," He lets out a nervous chuckle before the locker opens. "So how have you been? I haven't even talked to you since you school started back up!"

"Busy," His voice is the same, even after all this time. Jimmy's always been so rough and tough, having this resting bitch face every day. He was sure he even slept with the same look. "Still trying to keep everyone in line, especially with new the kids here."

"Oh, yeah! Have you met the drama kids?" Jimmy groans as he retrieves whatever is in the locker and slams it shut. "I guess you have?"

"Don't get me started on them!" he sighs, walking over to another locker. "They're _always_ complaining about something!"

"Right?" Instead of picking the lock, Jimmy simply leans against it.

"And that one kid, Michael!" he continues, "'Oh, Jimmy, remember to not step on a crack!' or something stupid like that. It's like he follows me around, just to annoy me!"

They stand there, ranting to one another about the new cliques and how Bullworth was probably better off without them. Though, there wasn't anything they could do about them. Jimmy had suggested beating them into submission, but Pete had told him that he couldn't protect him if Dr. Crabblesnitch had gotten word of his "chaos control". This was understandable, as Dr. Crabblesnitch hadn't even known of Pete's existence before Jimmy had even said something. Even now as headboy, Pete still went unnoticed by the headmaster. Completely unfair in the boy's mind, but what else could he do? Really, the only time Pete had voiced his opinion on something was how Mr. Hattrick still taught at Bullworth after he constantly tried to get Mr. Galloway fired for having the "occasional" drink. Jimmy had told Pete that he should think about getting himself known and whatnot. Then again, if he had done that, Pete was afraid he would only be susceptible to more bullying. Then again, getting known might actually help with Pete's ideas for the school, such as more activities and maybe a field trip or two.

The two parted ways as the bell rang, Pete slowly walking to math class. He dreaded seeing Mr. Sanders, hearing his accent and monotone voice. The worksheets were going to be a pain as well. Did he even have any friends in that class? Oh, who was he kidding? Aside from tolerating Cody, occasionally talking to Ink and Beatrice, Jimmy and Gary were the only two people he would consider "friends". And then again, he was still iffy on calling Gary one of his friends. Even though he would always push him around and take advantage of his good nature, Gary did always try to include him in whatever stupid adventure they were going on.

Grabbing the worksheet on the teacher's desk and taking his seat, Pete's automatically greeted with this week's subject: Geometry. Gary had already taken Geometry, and if he were still in school, he could probably go ask him how to do some of these problems. If he remembered correctly, Gary was decent with numbers. But, he wasn't here, and he couldn't exactly take the worksheet back with him. Mr. Sanders made it clear he wanted these back by the end of class.

Looking around the room, Pete spots his only two options: Algie and Gord. Though he's not too fond of either student, the two don't seem to be having that much of a problem with the worksheet. And as much as he hates to admit it, Gord seems to be the better choice. Algie was always the weird sort, and his desperate attempts at being cool was more cringe than anything. So, with slight hesitation, Pete leans over to Gord's desk.

"Hey, Gord," he starts, catching the prep's attention. "Got a second? I could use some help."

"Oh," He seems to think it over, before nodding. "I… suppose I could help you. On one condition!"

"Oh, boy. What is it?" Pete felt instant regret after he agreed, though the request Gord had asked for wasn't too bad or weird.

"I need you to remind Jimmy to meet me at the carnival," he tells him, and Pete just gives him a confused look.

"Why can't you do it?" he asks. Gord just lifts up his worksheet.

"I have homework and other things to attend to after class," he explains nonchalantly, "I don't cross paths with him today either, but we've agreed to meet this evening."

"I'll pass the word if I see him," he promised, earning a small thanks. After their conversation, Gord did help Pete with some of the problems, both getting stuck on one here and there. The ones they couldn't figure out, they agreed to leave blank. Though Gord did worry about his grades, he said he could just go to the library and look in one of the textbooks they had. Mr. Sanders didn't really believe in giving them textbooks unless they needed to work in them. He figured they could ask him for help if they really needed it. No one agreed with the man, but they weren't about to argue with him.

They finish the worksheet with only six problems left unanswered. That wasn't too bad out of the 23 they had to answer. And Pete had to admit, Gord was decently neat. He had put all of his work on a separate sheet of paper, only writing his name and the final answer down on the worksheet. And after turning it in, Pete pushed himself to ask Gord his business with Jimmy at the carnival. Apparently, after getting into a fight with Zoe about something, Jimmy had broken up with her and went to Gord. The prep seemed to be too fascinated with Jimmy's bad boy features, and almost seemed to be mildly obsessed with the poorer group. Pete didn't have the heart to tell him that he was most likely just a rebound, anyways, so he let him gush over the "poor" activities he and Jimmy had planned. Apparently poor people had more fun? If only that were true. But, if Gord wasn't being a snob to him because he was currently dating Jimmy, then Pete would let him talk about their plans all he wanted. After all, Gord was an okay guy when he wasn't turning his nose up at someone.

After class, Pete said goodbye to Gord and went to make his way towards the large double doors. It was sprinkling outside by now, and with a smile, Pete stepped out. He felt lighter, in all honesty. Having calm and normal conversations made him feel better about himself. And with the rain being light, he figured he could go into town and get that pizza like he had wanted.


	7. VI

**~VI~**

There's more people out in town Pete notices. Maybe it's due to the rain lightening up? No matter. He just wants to get his pizza. His mouth waters at the thought of it. How long had it been since he ate pizza? Too long, he's sure. Considering the fact that Jimmy didn't hang out with him much anymore because of his love life, and the fact that Gary was completely out of the picture, Pete was alone. Sure, Cody had always offered for him to go hang out but did Pete really want to go smoke or vandalize property? He wasn't sure his parents would approve, no matter how little they chatted lately. Yes, his parents lived close by the school, but they had sent him to the academy for a reason: peace and quiet. Maybe deep down, that was the reason Pete always felt so shy and awkward. His parents shipped him off and now he only went to see them on holidays or when it was summer. And honestly, it did hurt.

Closing in on the pizza place, Pete notices a familiar student standing under an awning. He puts on a smile, walking over.

"Hey, Ink! What's up?" His voice is cheerful and it catches the teen off guard.

"Oh! Hey, Pete," they greet, giving a small wave. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Yeah," he chuckles, "I would've stayed back at the dorm, but I _really_ wanted some pizza. So, here I am!"

Ink giggles softly at Pete's attempt to be more energetic.

"So, why are you out here?" he asks, "It's not raining that hard anymore."

"It's still sprinkling," they reply, looking out at the street. One of the puddles nearby has a consistent display of raindrops hitting it. "I came out when it wasn't raining at all, but it's started up again."

"Why, though?" he questions. Ink just stays quiet, closing in on themselves. "You can tell me, if you want. I just don't understand why you're so up on not getting wet."

"How about you get your pizza and I'll tell you when you're done?" they suggest. Pete sighs softly, but nods anyways. He walks inside the pizza place, expecting Ink to follow him, but they stay outside. He doesn't push it. But now, he's feeling rushed. He doesn't want Ink to just wait on him, and he does want to know why they've been acting so weird. He remembered they also wanted to tell him something yesterday before he went to go see Gary.

Gary. He wondered how he was holding up. He wondered how the medicine was reacting today. How the orderlies were treating him. If he was taking his pills willingly yet. Knowing Gary, probably not.

Pete orders a small pepperoni pizza to go, and sits down at a nearby table as he waits. His thoughts drift back to last year. How Jimmy arrived. How Gary befriended him. How Gary told Pete his plan to take over the school. He had promised Pete a more calm life at Bullworth, one where he felt more wanted and accepted. A school experience he deserved. Of course, Gary also told him Jimmy could have some glory. He painted the picture for Pete so vividly. Gary would be their leader, Pete would be the brain, and Jimmy would be the brawn. Together, they would rule the school. And when Gary would graduate, Jimmy would become leader, then Pete, then whoever would be next in line. He knew it sounded too good to be true.

It's funny, though. When Pete got to Bullworth and met Gary, the teen would always comment about topics he grew to like. His visions of being a mighty ruler, plans to do this and that. Pete always thought he would be cut out for the military, or something of the sort. Gary was always so knowledgeable about weapons. And at first, Pete didn't question Gary having so many prescriptions. Who was he to judge? He only got worried when Gary started to neglect them, claiming a genius like himself didn't need medicine. How wrong he was. In the beginning, Pete was sure Gary would graduate with all A's but when he started losing it, that thought went out the window. Still, Gary was the only person who interacted with him, even if most of the time it was just to annoy him.

Time flew for Pete and before he knew it, the lady at the front was calling his name, a cardboard box in her hand. He thanked her and left, Ink outside and scribbling down something in the sketchbook he had looked through a while ago.

"Ready to go?" Pete asks, smiling at the teen. Ink just nods, putting their sketchbook away. They walk back to school, the rain no longer. Though, Pete did feel the occasional rain drop on his face. He never said anything, not wanting to hear Ink panic. They were close by the school, anyways. And when they got onto campus, Pete suggested they go to the jocks clubhouse. Jimmy had given him permission to stay there anytime he liked, considered he valued the lighthouse more than this old home on campus.

By the time they get to the stairs, the rain returns and Pete groans. The rain, though not too hard, was making his pizza box damp and he didn't want his pizza soggy. But Ink, on the other hand, let out a terrified shriek, one would make if they faced their greatest fear. And with that, they took off running, making a beeline for the safe house. Pete picked up his pace, worried about his friend.

Pushing his way through the doors, Pete was horrified to see Ink leaning against the counter, their skin looking as though it was melting. Setting his pizza down, he made his way over to the other teen, hands awkwardly reaching out and then recoiling, unsure if he should touch them.

"AC, please," Ink's voice is a mixture of fear and calm, and Pete can't wrap his head around what's going on. Had he fallen asleep waiting for his pizza? Though, he goes over to where the AC is set, turning it on and shivering when the air suddenly blows out and hits him.

"What's going on?" Ink seems to ignore him, walking over to where he is and standing in front of the air, seeming more relaxed. He watches them, still so confused. They rub their arms in an odd manner, almost as though they're molding them.

It takes a good few minutes before Ink turns their attention to Pete, giving him a small smile.

"Thank you," They go sit on the edge of the makeshift bed, head in their hands. "This is what I wanted to talk about, Pete. Yesterday."

"You mean you melting in rain?" he questions, taking a step forward. He gets a nod.

"I'm not exactly normal," they confess, "All of these things wrong with me is the reason why I decided to come back to Bullworth. No one here knows about any of it, except you. And I got harassed a lot at my old school because of it."

"Your sister didn't do anything about it?" Ink shook their head.

"I didn't want her to freak out and hurt anyone," they told him, "I didn't tell her about the bad parts, but I did tell her that people were bullying me over my condition and everything, and she agreed to have me transferred."

"So you came to Bullworth?" Pete chuckles, finding this town to be known for the bullies, especially the academy.

"We had to move anyways, because of her reputation at our old town," they reply, "So we figured a small town like this one was better for us. And really, everything was decent until the fighting started. Apart from the normal bullies, no one knew about what I am."

"What do you mean, "what are you"?" he asks. Ink just shrugs.

"I'm a monster," they speak, voice soft. "I can't be in extreme heat or rain or else I'll start to melt, and I can't be out when it's really cold or I'll freeze."

"You're not a monster, Ink!" he laughs, reaching out and gently placing a hand on their shoulder. "You just have a condition no one else does! Or in this school, at least. But that shouldn't make you see yourself as something you're not. You can't help what happens to your body."

"I guess you're right," Ink looks at him, giving him a warm smile. "Thank you, Pete. I really do appreciate the talk. It's helped."

Pete gives them a nod, going to retrieve his pizza and take a slice.

"No problem!" Take a small bite and turning his attention back to his friend, Pete swallows the piece in his mouth before continuing. "I might not understand fully, but I won't make fun of you for being what you are. Honestly, I know what that feels like."

"You do?" Pete nods. And that's how the story starts. How his parents dropped him off at Bullworth and how he had roomed with Gary, the student who started the fight and bullied him since day one. He told them about how Gary was his roommate, and though he was a terrible boy when off his meds, but how he did make him feel included in some things, even though he wasn't always up for it. He told them about Gary's "master plan" to overtake the school, having the three of them be the rulers of Bullworth, Gary passing down the title "leader" to Jimmy when he graduated, then to him whenever it was Jimmy's turn to graduate. He told them about how Jimmy had beat Gary in the end, sending him off the Happy Volts and how Pete actually did miss Gary and his shenanigans.

Ink sits there, listening to stories of this Gary character, and admiring how Pete seemed so infatuated with him, even if he wouldn't admit it. The stories of the pranks Gary would pull, how he could manipulate everyone into believing him, how smart but evil Pete made him sound. He did seem pretty interesting, and Pete had more than enough stories to tell. How funny it was about how so much could happen in one school year. Gary had convinced everyone that Jimmy was such a horrible student, all in the name of getting to be the leader of Bullworth. And even though Gary did harass Pete, he didn't really turn anyone against Pete. Sure, he didn't help against people bullying him, but he also kept him close by, most likely to use him for future plans. But, even though Pete seemed to understand this, he never left Gary's side. And though he hated to admit it, Pete knew about the fight Gary was leading Jimmy into. The one against Russell. Of course, he hated the senior for doing that, but honestly, what could he have done to stop it? Gary would've thrown him down there with Jimmy, and he knew for a fact he couldn't beat Russel. It was a wonder how Jimmy did.

By the time Pete's stories are done, the rain's stopped and the two are going back to their respective dorm rooms. Pete returns to his room, finding himself alone, a note on Cody's bed.

" _Gone out to have fun. Be back whenever XOXO"_

Dropping the note, Pete goes to lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He lets him mind wander. He wondered if Jimmy and Gord went on their date, or whatever it was they were doing. He wondered if Gord would go back to being the same old snob to him if he ever broke up with Jimmy. Who was he kidding? Of course he would. All of the preps were the same. But, if Gord would be decent to him for the time being, then that was fine by him.

He wondered what Cody was doing, and who he was with. Though the teen didn't belong to a clique, he did often times hang out with either the townies or greasers, having fun causing trouble with them. Cody could have been a good student, if he went to class. Pete saw the passion he showed for cars, and wondered if he would become a mechanic. Being a junior, Cody simply said he would make up his credits during the summer and would go out strong his senior year. He doubted he would.

He wondered how Gary was doing. All alone in that dark room, with the orderlies injecting medicine into him because he refused to take the pills. How horrible that must have been. Pete hated getting shots and having the hospital take blood. He couldn't imagine having an injection every day, especially with the side effects. Though Gary did still have his snide comments, he did seem a lot more calmer. And a lot more lonely. His parents didn't even visit him. Didn't they care about his son? He supposed not all families were close. The thought made him a bit sad. Though he did cause a lot of bad things to happen at Bullworth, he wondered if he regretted it. Could sociopaths feel emotions? Or was it psychopaths that felt nothing? He couldn't remember. So many people mixed up the characteristics of the two, he didn't know which was which anymore.

Rolling over, Pete let his eyes slowly shut. Just a quick nap. Maybe tomorrow, he would go see if he could visit Gary again.


	8. VII

**~VII~**

Pete's woken up by the sound of Cody ramming his way through the door, laughing as he did so. Groaning, Pete rolls onto his back, rubbing his face.

"What? You still sleepin'?" Cody asks, walking over to his roommate's bed and shaking his shoulder. "C'mon, Pete! It's not even that late!"

"What time is it?" His voice is low and soft as he pushes Cody away, sitting up and looking at the clock. 6:55am.

"Told you it's not late!" The teen throws himself onto Pete's bed, and he gets a whiff of his scent. Weed and some alcohol. It's disgusting and he cringes away from his friend. "So, what are you doing sleeping, huh?"

"Dude, it's already morning," He's not in the mood to entertain him, and he brings his knees up to his chest. He just wanted to take a nap last night. He didn't expect to sleep all the way through. Maybe he had been exhausted by just walking around. "What were you out doing all night?"

"Having a good time, unlike you," he laughs, propping himself up on his elbows as he looks at Pete. "You're always in here! Like yeah, you go out and whatever, but you don't have any fun!"

"I don't need drugs to have fun, man," he sighs. Cody rolls his eyes. "And get off my bed! You smell horrible!"

"Oooh, I'm so scared," Slinking off the bed, Cody goes to his own, flopping down and laying on his side. "Anyways, you got any big plans for today?"

"Going to class. Although I don't think you know what that is," he shoots back, hearing only a chuckle.

"Relax, headboy," he starts, "I'm going to class today. To one, at least. I got shop today, and I don't feel like missing it."

And there it was, the only motivation to actually stay in Bullworth. But, he supposed it was good enough.

"I was thinking of going back," Pete continues, catching his attention. "To see that person, I mean. The one I told you about?"

"Oh, I see," he chuckles, "Can't stay away, huh?"

"Shut up, man," Unlike Gary's teasing, Cody made him laugh. His voice wasn't conniving or cruel. It was joyful and calm, not sarcastic and snide. And even though he did like it, a small part of him did miss the sarcastic and snide remarks.

"Well, as long as you give me the full story when you get back," he laughs, though Pete just nods.

"Whatever you say, man," Pete finally gets up, stretching and looking outside. Still cloudy, but not raining. His mind wandered back to yesterday. How crazy and weird it was. He shakes his head, grabbing some clean clothes and looking back at Cody. What a surprise. He's fast asleep. Quickly changing, Pete throws his clothes into an old hamper in the corner and gathers his things. He takes one last look at Cody, hoping he would be up in time for shop class, which he had this afternoon. Oh well. Leaving his room, he's greeted by a tired looking Jimmy.

"You're up early," he speaks, and the boy just groans.

"Don't remind me," he grumbles, following him out the double doors and down the stairs. "Gord is making me wake up early to take him out to breakfast or something."

"Oh, yeah. How'd it go last night?" Jimmy looks at him surprised. "I talked to Gord yesterday in class. He asked me to remind you meet him at the carnival, but I never saw you."

"It went well," Pete follows him past the building, toward the fountain. "Had some fun, surprisingly. Even though he wasn't really up on how "dirty" it was, he did like the coaster and cotton candy."

"That's good!" They get to the steps of the Harrington House and the two stop. Gord is already walking up, grinning from ear to ear when he sees Jimmy.

"Why, hello there!" His voice is cheerful as he grabs Jimmy's hand, kissing his cheek. His cheerful demeanor changes to a more bored one when he sees Pete, though he gives him a small smile and wave. "And hello, Pete."

"Hey, Gord," He nods his head before turning his attention back to his friend. "I'll see ya later, Jimmy. See ya, Gord."

Turning his heels, Pete leaves the two to themselves and goes to enter the main building. He sees the same thing every day he enters. People either conversing or fighting. It will always be like this, he decides. No one will ever get along. And even if he tried to do something, who would listen? People barely acknowledged him, anyways.

It's biology this morning, and lord knows Pete isn't up for it. He always felt bad and disgusted cutting up those dead animals, and the comments Mr. Slawter made never made him feel any better. If anything, it makes him feel more disgusted. And when he gets into class, the sight of a dead pigeon makes him nearly vomit. He had a feeling class would be longer than usual.

Class doesn't end soon enough and when the bell rings, Pete's the first one out the door, a small container of hand sanitizer being pulled out from his backpack. He always felt so disgusted when cutting into the animals. Sometimes he would try to cut faster just to get it over with and would end up ruining a part of the organs. Not like he really cared, honestly. He was getting a C in that class, so it was good enough for him. Although, he could always make up credits during summer break like Cody had planned. He would probably be in there anyways, seeing as he was failing music and photography. Oh well.

It's cloudy when he gets outside and for a moment, Pete wonders if it will rain on his way to see Gary later on. Hopefully not, since he didn't want to get sick. There was no way he could stay in his room with Cody smoking every two seconds. He always hated the smell, and even though he usually kept the window open when smoking, there were times where it still triggered his asthma.

Deciding to skip his music class, Pete makes his way back to his room, opening the door. To his surprise, Cody's getting dressed. And in something different, might he add. Though he still kept on his red beanie with a pink smiley note on the side, he now wore the red zip-up Bullworth hoodie with the sleeves pushed up and a white button up shirt underneath with a loose tie around his neck. His blue jeans were replaced with the school slacks, though he still kept his old skate shoots.

"Whoa! What's with the new getup?" Pete asks, catching his roommate's attention. He grins at him, turning so his body is facing him, arms outstretched to show off his new attire.

"Like it?" he chuckles, "I decided to _try_ and change. So, I'm gonna be going to shop and then my classes tomorrow."

"Oh yeah? What's the sudden change?" Pete walks over to his dresser, opening one of the drawers and pulling out his umbrella.

"It was actually you, Petey boy!" he proclaims, surprising the sophomore. "I thought about that little sarcastic response you gave me this morning and… I dunno. I kinda wanna prove you wrong."

"Prove me wrong?" he repeats, looking back at him.

"Sorta," He shrugs, going to grab his bag. "Not "wrong" but I guess show you and myself that I can do it. Besides, my mom and brother sent me here for a reason."

"You never really talk about your brother," The two leave the dorm, Cody closing the door behind them. "Who is he?"

"His name is Anthony," he tells him, "He's gonna be 21 in a couple months. Pretty cool. I just don't really like the group he runs with."

"Runs with?" Pete looks up at his friend. "He in a gang or something?"

"Yeah," He doesn't sound too proud with this confession. "He found it as an easy way to help our mom pay for bills, but his group can be really… crazy at times."

"They don't live out here, do they?" Cody shakes his head.

"Nah. They're back in Vegas," he tells him, nearing the entrance of shop class. "Who knows? Maybe you can come with me to visit them one day."

"Yeah, maybe," Pete lets out a nervous chuckle, hearing the greasers talk to each other. "I'll see you later, man. I'm gonna go head out."

"Oh! So you're skipping class, but when I do it, it's bad!" he shouts. The new chuckle from Pete is more joyful.

"You never go to class, that's why!" he explains, turning his heels so leave. "See ya, Cody!"

"Bye, honey! I'll see you when you get back!" he calls and Pete's face burns when he hears some of the greasers snicker at the comment. He never did understand why Cody always had to make remarks like that. He wondered if it was just to make fun of him. Then again, Cody usually did stand up for him whenever one of the bullies got out of line and harassed him too much.

The walk to the asylum is actually quite peaceful, and Pete did feel a bit better about himself. Hearing the bell ring in the distance behind him only made him speed up his walking. Gary took his medication around 7:30 if he remembered correctly. Coming early would give him a bit more time with him, and then he could have time to redo the sketching he had for his art project.

Getting a visitors pass from the front is easier than last time, the man remembering Pete because of who he was seeing. Still, he was the only person to go see the teen. When he let him in, Pete was once again escorted by Theo, who seemed a bit calmer today.

"Smith! Visitor!" The same phrase is said as the door is opened, Pete stepping inside. Gary looks up, the same look of surprise on his face. But, he eventually grins, going to stand up and tower over him.

"Femme-boy!" he greets, "Didn't expect you back here so soon!"

"Yeah, neither did I," He gives him a smile, Gary gesturing to the bed and having him sit down. "So, how are you doing?"

"Better," he grumbles, reaching a hand up to rub the inner part of his arm. "The medication is "helping", I guess you could say. They're still not gentle about the whole process, though."

Pete nods. He feels a bit awkward sitting on the bed. Being in the same room as Gary was such a weird feeling now. But, there was a sense of normality to it. A sense he didn't really get with Cody a lot.

"And why are you here, Petey?" Gary asks, now sitting by him. "Did you miss me?"

"Maybe I just wanted to hang out with my friend?" he suggests. There's laughter.

"Oh, yes!" he starts, rolling his eyes. "You want to "hang out" with your friend! Your friend who you betrayed and started working against."

"Hey, man. You betrayed me first!" he shoots back. Gary just laughs at him more, leaning in uncomfortably close to his face, his teeth grit.

"Jimmy," he snarls, "I betrayed Jimmy. You just followed him along like the lackey you are."

"Whatever, man," He stands up. "If you're gonna act like this then I'm gonna leave."

"Petey, wait," Gary reaches out, catching his sleeve and keeping him in place. "I'm sorry, okay? No need to be a girl about it."

"Just knock it off, man," he grumbles. The older teen stands up, looking down at him. "I didn't come here to have you be a jerk to me."

"Whatever you say, Pete," He gives Pete a smile that gives him nostalgic feelings from last year. "C'mon. Let's just talk and not argue. I don't feel like hearing you complain, anyways."

And like always, Pete goes along with it. He's not sure if it's the medication or just Gary finally doing better. But, as they spend more time together during his visit, Pete sees the old Gary. The one he met when he got to Bullworth. The one who was more in control of his emotions while he was taking his pills. And that's the Gary he liked the most.


	9. VIII

**~VIII~**

Pete stays at the asylum until it's time for Gary to take his medicine. And when he's told to leave, the two share a goodbye. A meaningful one, even. Pete had promised to come back whenever he could and, surprisingly, Gary had asked him to return soon. Maybe those injections really were helping him. Maybe he would be stable sooner than everyone thought.

Walking back to campus, Pete feels light and cheery. Things were looking up. He had helped Ink feel better about themselves, Cody was finally going to go to class, and Gary seemed to be getting better. Though he did have a feeling that something wrong would happen, he forced himself to look on the bright side.

The jocks are running laps on the field by the time Pete gets back, Mr. Burton shouting at them to work harder. Nothing was ever good enough for the man, it seemed. He was just glad it wasn't him the coach was yelling at. And as he goes to walk towards the stairs, Pete makes sure to stay off the field so no one runs into him. And also so no one starts yelling at him for "getting in the way" or whatever.

It's dusk by the time Pete gets back to his dorm, Cody sitting in bed and going to light up a cigarette. The sophomore groans, catching his attention.

"Pete! You're back!" He smiles at him, scooting over and patting the empty spot beside him. "I want the story! Now!"

"Geez, can't you wait?" he sighs, putting his bag down and taking off his shoes. Cody just shrugs, putting the cigarette in the ashtray.

"I'd rather not," he tells him. It takes Pete a couple minutes to put his things back where he had gotten them from this morning. When he's finally done, he drags himself over to Cody's bed and climbs on, sitting next to him with his legs crossed.

"So, what do you wanna know?" Pete asks. There's just a scoff as his arm is playfully punched.

"Everything!" he practically cries, "How was it? What'd you guys talk about? Was there any kissing?"

"It was just a calm conversation," he starts, "No, there wasn't any kissing. We just-"

"Did you want there to be?" Pete's face grows hot as he glares at his roommate.

"Cody!" Laughter. He reaches out, patting his head.

"Sorry, sorry. Continue," Pushing his hand away, Pete lets out a sigh.

"As I was saying," he grumbles, "We had a nice _conversation_. And actually, they seem to be doing really well. They're a lot more calmer and... nice."

"What? Were they an asshole before?" Cody asks. He just nods.

"Yeah. They used to go here and they seemed pretty okay in the beginning," he continues, "Then they stopped taking their meds and it all just went downhill from there."

"You think they'll get better enough to come back?" Pete shrugs.

"I hope so," he sighs, "Before you, that was actually my roommate. That's how I know so much about him."

"Him?" Cody stares at Pete before grinning. "And here I was thinking you had some fine looking lady for yourself! Tell me, Pete. Is this guy at least cute?"

"What?! Why?"

"Because I'm not gonna let you humiliate yourself by dating an ugly person!"

"Knock it off, Cody," His face is hot now. He kept telling himself he was concerned about Gary because they were friends. He himself didn't want to accept the fact that he had grown strongly attached to the senior, especially when he was on his meds and was a decent human being.

"I'm just saying," Cody puts his hands up in defense, "But, you gotta answer me. Is he at least cute?"

Was he? Pete thought for a moment. That face he had grown so used to seeing day in and day out when they were roommates. That old scar over his right eye he had always wanted to know the story behind. That stupid grin he would always wear when he told Pete some of his plans and ideas. That stupid grin he actually missed. The Gary he missed rooming with. Not the one who had fought Jimmy on top of the school last year, oh no. He missed the Gary from the start of his freshman year. The one who, even though he did pick on him, spent time with him and made him feel wanted. The one who was actually in control of his emotions and actions.

"Yes," The answer slips out without a second thought and he can hear Cody give out a little squeal.

"Wait! You said he went here!" He's jumping off the bed, rummaging around underneath. "That means his picture has to be in the yearbook!"

"Cody, stop!" He's both done with his roommate's reaction to his "crush" and worried he'll find out who it is. Gary Smith was a well known name in Bullworth. Even the new kids knew who he was on account of the story getting out.

"Who was it?" Cody questions, finally pulling out an old yearbook. The one that Gary had left behind. No. "What's his-"

He stops and Pete feels his heart race. Cody looks at him, disgust and confusion on his face.

"Pete, tell me you like someone else," he starts, "Christ, tell me it's Peanut or Damon or even Bif!"

He stands there in silence. Cody had opened to the first page and he can see what's scribbled inside. The part where people wrote down their names when they got their yearbook. Gary Smith. That red ink still looked fresh, even to this day.

"Pete..." He wants to hide. He's never seen the look of disappointment on Cody's face before and it's horrible. He feels horrible.

"His name is Gary," His voice is shaky and so is his body. Cody stares at the name before flipping through the pages. The blue color stands out and he sees him scanning over the pictures until he finds him. He scrunches his face up in disgust.

"You can do better," he says nonchalantly, closing the book and throwing it back under the bed. He then stands up, dusting off his pants. "Like, seriously. Him? God, you don't have a good eye."

"Cody..." His roommate looks back at him, that old smile on his face. The expression before is gone, and he's back to the same old Cody he's used to.

"It's none of my business," he tells him, "If you're into... that, then there's nothing I can do. I just want you to be careful."

"So, that's it?" he asks, sounding confused. "You're not gonna sit here and lecture me about how wrong it is and how I should stop liking him or seeing him?"

"Why should I?" He lets out a laugh, laying his hand on his shoulder. "You're gonna like whoever it is you like, and I can't stop that. You just gotta live and learn, man. Besides, you said he was getting better, right? Maybe he'll be better enough to where you guys can have a stable relationship."

"You know, for a pothead, you sure can give some decent advice," Pete chuckles and Cody's right along with him.

"I've gone through some things, Pete," he replies, "I know some things about life."

"Do you think it would even work out?" he asks, putting his head down. "I mean, I'm sure he wouldn't like me anyways. But if he did, you know?"

"Communication, man," he explains, "So long as you two talk everything out, it should work."

"Thanks," Cody nods, taking his seat back beside him. He goes to retrieve his cigarette and lighter, and Pete just frowns. "Hey. Do me a favor and don't tell anyone?"

"Pete, who the hell am I gonna tell?" He takes a drag, putting the lighter down and looking at him. "And why would I? Like seriously, don't you trust me?"

Coughing, Pete nods and gets off his bed, crawling into his own. Cody just laughs, opening the window and blowing the smoke outside.

"Maybe you should work on quitting smoking," Pete suggest. There's another laugh.

"That's cute, headboy," he speaks, looking over at him. "But one thing at a time, yeah?"


End file.
